23 And it came to pass, that he went through the corn fields on the sabhath day ; and his disciples began, as they went, to pluck the ears of corn.
24 And the Pharisees said unto him, Behold, why do they on the sabbath day that which is not lawful ?
25 And he said unto them, Have ye never read what David did, when he had need, and was an hungered, he, and they that were with him ?
26 How he went into the house of God in the days of Abiathar the High Priest, and did eat the shewbread, which is not lawful to eat but for the Priests, and gave also to them which were with him ?
27 And he said unto them, The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath :
28 Therefore the Son of man is Lord also of the sabbath.
These verses set before us a remarkable scene in our Lord Jesus Christ's earthly ministry. We see our blessed Master and His disciples going " through the corn fields on the Sabbath day." We are told that His disciples, " as they went, began to pluck the ears of corn." At once we hear the Pharisees accusing them to our Lord, as if they had committed some great moral offence. " Why do they on the Sabbath day that which is not lawful ?" They received an answer full of deep wisdom,
* It must always be remembered that the " bottle" here spoken of was not a bottle of glass or of earthenware, but of leather. Unless this is kept in view, the parable is unintelligible to an English mind. A similar remark applies to David's words, " I am become like a bottle in the smoke." (Psal. cxix. 83.)
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which all should study well, who desire to understand the subject of Sabbath observance.
We see from these verses, what extravagant importance is attached to trifles by those who are mere formalists in re- ligion.
The Pharisees were mere formalists, if there ever were any in the world. They seem to have thought exclu- sively of the outward part, the husk, the shell, and the ceremonial of religion. They even added to these exter- nals by traditions of their own. Their godliness was made up of washings, and fastings, and peculiarities in dress, and will-worship, while repentance, and faith, and holiness were comparatively overlooked.
The Pharisees would probably have found no fault, if the disciples had been guilty of some offence against the moral law. They would have winked at covetousness, or perjury, or extortions, or excess, because they were sins to which they themselves were inclined. But no sooner did they see an infringement on their man-made traditions about the right way of keeping the Sabbath, than they raised an outcry, and found fault.
Let us watch and pray, lest we fall into the error of the Pharisees. There are never wanting Christians who walk in their steps. There are thousands at the present day who plainly think more of the mere outward cere- monial of religion than of its doctrines. They make more ado about keeping saints' days, and turning to the east in the creed, and bowing at the name of Jesus, than about repentance, or faith, or separation from the world. Against this spirit let us ever be on our guard. It can neither comfort, satisfy, nor save.
It ought to be a settled principle in our minds, that